Olbermann out at MSNBC

Ellen Gray, Daily News TV Critic

The clock's run out on MSNBC's "Countdown with Keith Olbermann," which apparently came to an unexpected end with tonight's show.

The NBC-owned cable news network issued the following not very revealing statement:

"MSNBC and Keith Olbermann ahve ended their contract. The last broadcast of 'Countdown with Keith Olbermann' will be this evening. MSNBC thanks Keith for his integral role in MSNBC's success and we wish him well in his future endeavors."

Starting Monday, "The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell" will move in to Olbermann's 8 p.m. timeslot, and "The Ed Show," hosted by Ed Schultz, will replace O'Donnell at 10. (Rachel Maddow stays put.)

As the TV critic for the Philadelphia Daily News, I've always believed my job is less about thumbs -- up or down -- and more about the conversation. Because the more choices we have, the fewer people in our lives know what we're talking about when we say, "Did you see that?" And that's when television really starts to get interesting.